Stats back up that Kobe could beat LBJ in one-on-one game

Kobe Bryant raised a few eyebrows a couple of weeks ago when he said he could beat LeBron James in a one-on-one game.

But it seems that the statistics of their rare on-court matchups back him up.

According to research from ESPN’s Alok Pattani, Bryant has held his own against James. He analyzed every play that would be considered an isolation situation over the past six seasons that involved the two superstars competing against each other.

Bryant scored 20 points in 27 isolations for an average of .74 points per possession. James produced seven points in 13 isolation plays for an average of .54 points per possession.

That sampling is too small to be considered the definitive word. I think that James would be a tough one-on-one challenge because he’s bigger and stronger.

But in the end, I believe that Bryant’s indomitable will would boost him past Bryant despite those disadvantages.

Now, can we just find a casino which would propose something like this?